A study of these verses indeed tells man regarding his...

A study of these verses indeed tells man regarding his origin and his destination. What is the aim behind the creation of man and other creatures? And why they subsequently leave the world? What is the purpose of designing and devising the long caravan of creatures and created things? The reply to the questions is the foundation of Quran.

Knowledge sans actions or a fruitless Branch 2) Purification : The second aspect or component of the mission of the Prophets is to purify men from evil behavior and spiritual defects. In other words, results have to be achieved both in the matter of belief as well as deeds. Knowledge and belief and good deeds together make the soul pure of bad morals and evil. They purify the soul. Faith is a field and action is the seed.

Even if the best quality seeds are sowed in a barren land and watered too, there will be no results. Not only this, even the seeds will be wasted. The soil and the seeds must be compatible for maximum benefit. Similarly if the soil is fertile but it is not sowed with seeds, it will not be able to put forth any vegetation or fruits. The fruit of knowledge and deeds is the reform of soul and purification of soul from dirt. The actual aim of knowledge and deed is purification of soul.

If the causes of disease are not removed from the body the disease will worsen instead of being cured. This the actual import of the Quranic verses. Regarding the hypocrites, it says: There is a disease in their hearts, so Allah added to their disease and they shall have a painful chastisement because they lied. (Surah Baqarah 2:10). In the same way Allah says, And We reveal of the Quran that which is a healing and a mercy to the believers, and it adds only to the perdition of the unjust.

(Surah Bani Israel 17:82). Body and Soul Thus we come to know that the teaching of Quran is related to two things, wisdom and self-purification, and wisdom denotes the secrets of creation and belief of the affairs related to the Hereafter. In other words wisdom is the recognition of truth and self-purification is related to the permissible and the prohibited. Beliefs and actions, both are the result of Quranic teachings, and the combined result of both of them is self-purification.

Self-purification also has two stages. The first stage is outward and apparent purification and the second is internal and hidden.